Plan to partially re-open Glasgow Central Station if threat from fire-damaged building continues
Firefighters are still dousing Union Corner building with water - three days after the huge blaze broke out
Scotland’s busiest station could be partially opened if the fire-damaged building beside it cannot be made safe or demolished by next week, a Network Rail chief revealed on Wednesday.
The owner and operator of Glasgow Central has said it will remain shut until at least Monday, apart from the two low level (underground) platforms, which re-opened on Tuesday.
The station is normally used by some 80,000 people a day, including ScotRail, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express, CrossCountry and Caledonian Sleeper passengers.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service remained in charge of the scene on the corner of Union Street and Gordon Street on Wednesday, although it has scaled down its operations to one high-reach fire appliance and three other fire engines.
Control will then be passed to Glasgow City Council, whose building standards officers will assess whether the unstable remains of Union Corner building will have to be demolished or made safe before the station can reopen.
The main part of the station cannot reopen yet because of the risk posed by the potential collapse of the facade of Union Corner, the adjacent building on its north eastern corner which was destroyed in Sunday’s fire.
The danger means the main entrance of the station on Gordon Street is unsafe to use, with its other entrances potentially too narrow for rapid evacuation in an emergency if full train services were to resume.
However, Network Rail Scotland route director Ross Moran said plans were being considered to re-open platforms on the west side of the station if there was an extended delay in resolving the problem.
This could involve trains being able to use platforms ten to 15, on ScotRail routes such as to Paisley Gilmour Street, Ayr and Neilston.
Entrances to the station on Hope Street, on the west side of the station, could be used, including a former vehicle access ramp known as the “carriage drive”, along with the low level station entrance on Argyle Street.
Some of these may become entrance or exit only, with access via Gordon Street and Union Street remaining closed.
Mr Moran told The Scotsman: “We are working on two things simultaneously - a full reopening, and opening platforms 15 to ten.
“If the city council was to say it [the facade] is unsafe and we don’t want any services near the facade, then we are attempting to assess going for the least risky [option].
“We are evaluating passenger numbers to understand were we to operate those platforms, could we accommodate them. We’re looking at its feasibility.”
Mr Moran said another complication was that alternative temporary accommodation might need to be provided within the station for train operators’ staff such as ScotRail if their bases in Caledonian Chambers, on its east side just down from the fire site, were found to be smoke damaged.
He said: “There is a chain of custody for the facade, which at the moment is with Scottish Fire and Rescue.
“Once they have satisfied themselves there is no risk of reignition, it will be passed to Glasgow City Council, which will pull together a plan as to whether the facade needs to be demolished or whether they want to stabilise it.
“We are working hand in glove with them as to what that plan looks like and what impact a segregation zone to demolish it would have on the operation of the station.
“We want to push as hard as we can [to get the station reopened].”
Mr Moran said specialist engineers were given access on Wednesday to start checking the station for damage, such as to its huge glass roof, which he described as a “critical component”.
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